Enhanced delivery of audio data for portable playback
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for selection by a user and delivery to the user over an internetwork transmission channel of selected audio data files at a delivery rate of at least twice the delivery rate for normal, audibly perceptible playback of an audio data file. The user registers the user'"'"'s selection of audio material with a central library of audio and/or text data files, and a digitized and optionally compressed omnibus file containing the user'"'"'s selections is prepared and transmitted to the user at a high data transfer rate. The user receives downloads the selected data files to a personal computer or to a portable storage and playback unit (SPU) that may store and play back digitized text or audio data, using a docking station. The user carries this SPU until the user has an opportunity to audio process and play back the text or audio data files in audibly perceptible form.
-
Citations
46 Claims
-
1-25. -25. (canceled)
-
26. A portable audio playback device comprising:
-
a data interface;
a control interface;
an audio output;
a storage medium; and
a microprocessor connected to said data interface, said control interface, said audio output and said storage medium, wherein said microprocessor is configured to receive audio data through said data interface, store the audio data on said storage medium, and control playback of at least a portion of the audio data through said audio output based on use allocation information associated with the audio data. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A portable apparatus comprising:
-
a storage unit configured to store digital audio data; and
a playback unit for playing back the data;
wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate, via a docking station, with a computer connectable to a communications link for downloading the data from a remote location and uploading the data to the apparatus for storage in the storage unit. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A digital audio storage and playback system, comprising:
-
a portable apparatus including a storage unit to store digital audio data and a playback unit configured to play back the data;
a docking station capable of communicating with the portable apparatus; and
a computer connected to the docking station and connectable to a communications link for downloading the data from a remote location and uploading the data to the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A portable apparatus to playback audio data, comprising:
-
a connector configured to connect to a docking station which is connected to a host computer configured to download audio data via the Internet;
a storage unit configured to store the audio data transferred through the docking station from the host computer; and
a playback unit configured to play back the audio data. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. An audio information storage and playback system, comprising:
-
a computer and associated data interface, programmed to receive and extract an audio data file from an incoming signal over an internetwork channel at a transfer rate that is greater than a playback rate for audibly perceptible playback of information contained in the data file; and
a docking station, connected to the computer and adapted for receiving a playback module that receives and stores the data file from the computer and that provides audibly perceptible playback of the data file.
-
-
46. A digital audio storage and playback system, comprising:
-
a portable apparatus including a playback unit configured to play digital audio data and a storage unit to store digital audio data; and
a docking station configured to receive and couple to the portable apparatus, the docking station further configured to connect with a computer to enable the portable apparatus to receive digital audio data from the computer for storage in the storage unit.
-
Specification